Tumbler system

ABSTRACT

A straw is disclosed for use in a tumbler system that comprises a tumbler top and a tumbler. The straw comprises an elongated body that is configured to deliver a substance from a first opening at a first end along a longitudinal axis to a second opening at an opposite distal end. The straw also comprises a base that is attached to the elongated body, having a diameter greater than an opening in the tumbler top. The straw also comprises a plurality of paddles attached to the base and configured to be rotated about the longitudinal axis, wherein the plurality of paddles comprise a tear-drop paddle, a ring paddle, or a semi-circle paddle. The elongated body includes a reusable polypropylene material.

REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority and the benefit thereof from a U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/161,967, filed on Mar. 20, 2009 andentitled CUP AND BOTTLES, the entirety of which is herein incorporatedby reference.

Furthermore, this application is related to U.S. design patentapplication Ser. No. ______, filed on ______ (Attorney Docket No.2052986-8579DES).

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a tumbler, a straw, and atumbler-straw system and methods for manufacturing the tumbler andstraw.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

A variety of drinking vessels are known to exist. These drinking vesselsare provided in various shapes, sizes, materials, colors and designs.For example, the drinking vessels are typically made from glass orplastic and are often clear. The vessels may be used together with, forexample, drinking straws. These vessels can be disposable or reusable.

The disclosure provides a novel tumbler, a novel straw, a noveltumbler-straw system, and methods for manufacturing the tumbler andstraw. The disclosure further provides a novel tumbler, a novel straw,and a combination thereof that is reusable and suitable for coldbeverage use.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one non-limiting aspect of the disclosure, a straw isprovided for use in a tumbler system that comprises a tumbler top and atumbler. The straw comprises an elongated body that is configured todeliver the substance from a first opening at a first end along alongitudinal axis to a second opening at an opposite distal end; a baseattached to the elongated body and having a diameter greater than anopening in the tumbler top; and a plurality of paddles attached to thebase and configured to be rotated about the longitudinal axis, whereinthe plurality of paddles comprise a tear-drop paddle, a ring paddle, ora semi-circle paddle; and the elongated body includes a reusablepolypropylene material.

According to a further aspect of the disclosure, a tumbler is providedthat comprises a straw, wherein the straw includes an elongated bodythat is configured to deliver the substance from a first opening at afirst end along a longitudinal axis to a second opening at an oppositedistal end; a base attached to the elongated body and having a diametergreater than an opening in the tumbler top; and a plurality of paddlesattached to the base and configured to be rotated about the longitudinalaxis, wherein the plurality of paddles comprise a tear-drop paddle, aring paddle, or a semi-circle paddle; and the elongated body includes areusable polypropylene material. The tumbler may include a grip. Thegrip may comprise a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The tumbler maycomprise a clear plastic material.

According to a yet further aspect of the disclosure, a straw is providedwhich is configured to prevent loss and to aid in mixing a fluid in atumbler. The straw comprises an elongated body; and a base, wherein thebase comprises a paddle. The paddle may comprise a tear-drop paddle; aring paddle; or a semi-circle paddle. The elongated body may include areusable polypropylene material. The base may include a reusablepolypropylene material. The base may comprise at least two paddles. Theelongated body may be configured to pass through an opening in a tumblertop. The base may comprise a diameter greater than the opening in thetumbler top.

According to a further aspect of the disclosure, a tumbler system isprovided that comprises a straw, wherein the straw includes an elongatedbody; and a base, wherein the base comprises a paddle. The tumblersystem may further comprise a tumbler that is configured to hold asubstance; and a tumbler top that is configured to securely attach tothe tumbler. The tumbler system may further comprise a gasket that isconfigured to provide a fluid-seal between the tumbler top and thetumbler. Still further, the tumbler system may comprise a grip that isconfigured to slide on to an outer surface of the tumbler. The grip maycomprise a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The tumbler system may furthercomprise a fastener that is configured to attach the tumbler top to thetumbler. The fastener may comprise a quarter turn thread.

Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosure maybe set forth or apparent from consideration of the detailed descriptionand drawings. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoingsummary of the disclosure and the following detailed description areexemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limitingthe scope of the disclosure as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure andtogether with the detailed description serve to explain the principlesof the disclosure. No attempt is made to show structural details of thedisclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamentalunderstanding of the disclosure and the various ways in which it may bepracticed. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A-1C show various views of an example of a straw, according toprinciples of the disclosure;

FIGS. 2A-2C show various views of an example of a tumbler system,according to principles of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section view of the tumbler system of FIGS. 2A-2C;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the tumbler system of FIGS. 2A-2C;

FIG. 5A shows another example of a tumbler system, according toprinciples of the disclosure;

FIG. 5B shows an example of a straw that may be used in the tumblersystem of FIG. 5A or FIGS. 2A-2C;

FIG. 6A shows another example of a tumbler system, according toprinciples of the disclosure; and

FIG. 6B shows an example of a straw that may be used in the tumblersystem of FIG. 6A or FIGS. 2A-2C.

The present disclosure is further described in the detailed descriptionthat follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure and the various features and advantageous details thereofare explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodimentsand examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and detailed in the following description. It should be notedthat the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawnto scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with otherembodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if notexplicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components andprocessing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscurethe embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are intendedmerely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the disclosuremay be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art topractice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the examplesand embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope ofthe disclosure. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numeralsrepresent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The terms “including”, “comprising” and variations thereof, as used inthis disclosure, mean “including, but not limited to”, unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

The terms “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this disclosure, means “oneor more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.

Although process steps, method steps, algorithms, or the like, may bedescribed in a sequential order, such processes, methods and algorithmsmay be configured to work in alternate orders. In other words, anysequence or order of steps that may be described does not necessarilyindicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. Thesteps of the processes, methods or algorithms described herein may beperformed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performedsimultaneously.

When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readilyapparent that more than one device or article may be used in place of asingle device or article. Similarly, where more than one device orarticle is described herein, it will be readily apparent that a singledevice or article may be used in place of the more than one device orarticle. The functionality or the features of a device may bealternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are notexplicitly described as having such functionality or features.

According to one non-limiting example of the disclosure, FIGS. 1A-1Cshow various views of an example of a straw 100, according to principlesof the disclosure. In particular, FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C shows aperspective view, a top view, and a bottom view, respectively, of thestraw 100. The straw 100 includes a body 110 and a base 120. The body110 has an elongated structure that is configured to deliver a substance(not shown) from an opening 123 in the base 120 to an opening 113 at anopposite end of the straw 100. The body 110 may include a cylindrical(shown in FIG. 1A) or a rectangular, elongated structure (not shown).The base 120 may include a plurality of paddles 130. The paddles 130 maybe configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the straw 100 asthe straw 100 is rotated, so as to mix a substance.

The body 100, base 120 and paddles 130 may be made from a material thatincludes, e.g., plastic, wax-coated paper, metal, ceramic, glass, wood,or any combination thereof. The plastic may include a thermoplastic suchas, e.g., polypropylene, which may be blended with colorants. The base120 may include fewer (or greater) than the four paddles 130 seen inFIGS. 1A-1C.

The straw 100 may be manufactured as a single unit, including the body100, the base 120 and the tear-drop paddles 130. Alternatively, thestraw 100 may be assembled from two or more individual units. In thislatter regard, the body 100 may be inserted into the base 120, which mayor may not already include the paddles 130.

As seen in FIGS. 1A-1C, the base 120 may include tear-drop paddles 130.Alternatively, the base 120 may include a plurality of ring paddles 530(shown in FIG. 5B), or a plurality of semi-circle paddles 630 (shown inFIG. 6B), or any combination of the tear-drop paddles 130, ring paddles530, or semi-circle paddles 630. It is noted that other shapes may beused for the paddles, including, for example, squares, rectangles,ellipses, or the like. The straw 100 is configured to prevent loss ofthe straw 100 and to aid in mixing the substance, which may include,e.g., a fluid (e.g., a beverage) or a fluid-solid combination (e.g., amilk shake) provided in a tumbler 200 (e.g., shown in FIG. 2A).

FIGS. 2A-2C show various views of an example of a tumbler system 300,according to principles of the disclosure. The tumbler system 300includes the straw 100 and a tumbler 200. The tumbler 200 may include atumbler top 210 and a grip 220. The tumbler 200 includes a bottom 230,which may include high friction components, such as, e.g., rubber,magnetic material, or the like, to prevent the tumbler 200 from slidingwhen placed on, e.g., a flat surface (not shown). The tumbler top 210may include legends 214, 218, such as, e.g., OPEN 214 and CLOSE 218, aswell as directional arrows 219, to assist the user in manipulating thetumbler top 210 to engage or disengage the tumbler top 210 with thetumbler 200.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section view of the tumbler system 300 along theline A-A, shown in FIG. 2A. The tumbler 200 includes a tumbler body 250and a fastener portion 260. The fastener portion 260 may include, e.g.,threading (e.g., quarter-turn threading), tongue-and-groove,hook-and-loop, and the like. The tumbler body 250 may be configured tohave a capacity of, e.g., but not limited to, 8 oz., 16, oz. 24 oz., 32oz., or the like. The bottom portion of the tumbler body 250 may beconfigured to have an angle 255 with the bottom 230 that issubstantially greater (or less) than, e.g., 90°, but preferably in therange of, e.g., about 93° to about 96°.

The tumbler body 250, tumbler top 210, grip 220 or bottom 230 may bemade from a material that includes, e.g., plastic, wax-coated paper,metal, ceramic, glass, wood, or any combination thereof. The plastic mayinclude a copolyester which may be blended with colorants, or may bemade clear. The grip 220 may include a textured material such as, e.g.,a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) to provide a non-slip grip for thetumbler 200. The tumbler top 210 may include, e.g., clarified ABS.

The tumbler body 250 and the bottom 230 may be manufactured as a singleunit, or as two or more separate units. In the later case, the bottom230 may be attached to the tumbler 250 by a fastening mechanism (notshown), including, e.g., threads, tongue-and-groove, or the like.

The tumbler system 300, including the straw 100 and tumbler 200 may beconfigured to be, e.g., dishwasher safe.

Further, the elongated body 110 of the straw 100 may be configured topass through an opening in the tumbler top 210. The base 120 may have adiameter that is greater than the opening in the tumbler top 210 toprevent the straw 100 from separating from the tumbler system 300 andbeing lost.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the tumbler system 300, according toprinciples of the disclosure. As seen in FIG. 4, the tumbler system 300further includes a gasket 212, which may include a material, such as,e.g., silicone, rubber, metal, or the like. The gasket 212 material maybe colored or clear. The gasket 212 is configured to provide afluid-seal between the tumbler top 210 and the tumbler 200, so as toprevent leakage or spillage of a substance that may be contained in thetumbler 200.

FIG. 5A shows another example of a tumbler system 400, according toprinciples of the disclosure. The tumbler system 400 includes the straw100 and a tumbler 500. The tumbler system 400 may further include atumbler top 510 and a grip 520. The various elements of the tumblersystem 400 may be made from the same, or similar materials describedabove with regard to the tumbler system 300.

FIG. 5B shows another example of the straw 100 that may be used in thetumbler system 400 (or 300). The straw 100 may include a plurality ofring paddles 530, as shown in FIG. 5B.

FIG. 6A shows another example of a tumbler system 700, according toprinciples of the disclosure. The tumbler system 700 includes the straw100 and a tumbler 600. The tumbler system 600 may further include atumbler top 610 and a grip 620. The various elements of the tumblersystem 700 may be made from the same, or similar materials describedabove with regard to the tumbler system 300.

As seen in FIG. 6A, the tumbler top 610 may include a dome shape and thebottom of the tumbler 600 may include a traction ring 635, which mayinclude a material such as, e.g., rubber, silicone, or the like, toprevent the tumbler from sliding when placed on a flat surface (notshown).

FIG. 6B shows another example of the straw 100 that may be used in thetumbler system 600 (or 300). The straw 100 may include a plurality ofsemi-circle paddles 630, as shown in FIG. 6B.

While the disclosure has been described in terms of exemplaryembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosurecan be practiced with modifications in the spirit and scope of theappended claims. These examples are merely illustrative and are notmeant to be an exhaustive list of all possible designs, embodiments,applications or modifications of the disclosure.

What is claimed:
 1. A straw for use in a tumbler system that comprises atumbler top and a tumbler, the straw comprising: an elongated body thatis configured to deliver the substance from a first opening at a firstend along a longitudinal axis to a second opening at an opposite distalend; a base attached to the elongated body and having a diameter greaterthan an opening in the tumbler top; and a plurality of paddles attachedto the base and configured to be rotated about the longitudinal axis,wherein the plurality of paddles comprise a tear-drop paddle, a ringpaddle, or a semi-circle paddle; and the elongated body includes areusable polypropylene material.
 2. A tumbler that includes the straw ofclaim
 1. 3. The tumbler of claim 2, wherein the tumbler comprises agrip.
 4. The tumbler of claim 3, wherein the grip comprises athermoplastic elastomer (TPE).
 5. The tumbler of claim 2, wherein thetumbler comprises a clear plastic material.
 6. A straw configured toprevent loss and to aid in mixing a fluid in a tumbler, the strawcomprising: an elongated body; and a base, wherein the base comprises apaddle.
 7. A straw of claim 6, wherein the paddle comprises: a tear-droppaddle; a ring paddle; or a semi-circle paddle.
 8. The straw of claim 7,wherein the elongated body includes a reusable polypropylene material.9. The straw of claim 7, wherein the base includes a reusablepolypropylene material.
 10. The straw of claim 6, wherein the basecomprises at least two paddles.
 11. The straw of claim 7, wherein thebase comprises at least two paddles.
 12. The straw of claim 7, whereinthe elongated body is configured to pass through an opening in a tumblertop.
 13. The straw of claim 12, wherein the base comprises a diametergreater than the opening in the tumbler top.
 14. A tumbler system thatcomprises the straw of claim
 6. 15. The system of claim 14, furthercomprising: a tumbler that is configured to hold a substance; and atumbler top that is configured to securely attach to the tumbler. 16.The system of claim 15, further comprising: a gasket that is configuredto provide a fluid-seal between the tumbler top and the tumbler.
 17. Thesystem of claim 15, further comprising: a grip that is configured toslide on to an outer surface of the tumbler.
 18. The system of claim 17,wherein the grip comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).
 19. Thesystem of claim 15, further comprising: a fastener that is configured toattach the tumbler top to the tumbler.
 20. The system of claim 19,wherein the fastener comprises a quarter turn thread.